The present invention relates generally to an audio mixing system comprising a plurality of cascade-connected mixing apparatus, and more particularly to an improved method for controlling the individual mixing apparatus in the mixing system.
Audio mixers are apparatus which perform mixing processing, such as mixing of audio signals of a plurality of channels and impartment of effects to the audio signals. In recent years, digital mixers have been in wide-spread use, which convert analog audio signals, input via input devices such as microphones, into digital signals and then perform mixing processing on the converted digital signals. In each of these digital mixers, a human operator (or user) of the mixer sets values of mixing processing parameters via an operation section (or console section) that is provided with a multiplicity of operators operable to manipulate various parameters to be used in mixing processing. The current settings (set values) of the various mixing processing parameters are stored in a storage area called “current memory”. DSP array (i.e., signal processing section) carries out the mixing processing on the basis of the various parameter settings held in the current memory.
The conventionally-known digital mixers can collectively reproduce settings of given mixing parameters by storing in advance, as a scene, the current settings of the parameters, held in the current memory, in a scene memory and then recalling the stored scene from the scene memory to the current memory. Such a function is commonly called “scene store/recall” function, and scene data of a plurality of scenes can be stored in the scene memory in the conventionally-known digital mixers.
In event venues, such as a music festival where a plurality of human performers exhibit performances (music performances etc.) in turn on the stage, it has been known to achieve a smooth progression of performances on the stage by providing two sets of performance platforms, which performers mount, and mixers which mix music performances executed on the performance platforms and alternately using the provided two sets. FIG. 19 shows an example of a conventionally-known PA system including two performance platforms, “platformA” 400a and “platformB” 400b. In the illustrated example of FIG. 19, a mixer (“mixA”) 410 is provided in correspondence with “platformA” 400a, and mixing of a music performance on “platformA” is performed by the mixer 410. Mixer (“mixB) 411 is provided in correspondence with “platformB” 400b, and mixing of a music performance in “platformB” is performed by the mixer 411.
Output signals of “mixA” 410 and “mixB” 411 are supplied to an output switch device (“SW”) 412, which selectively outputs either the output signals of “mixA” 410 or the output signals of “mixB” 411 to an amplifier 500 so that audio signals corresponding to the selection by the output switch device 412 are audibly generated or sounded through a speaker 600. During the course of actual execution or exhibition, on the stage, of a particular performance assigned to “platformA” 400a, for example, the system of FIG. 19 permits preparations (such as mixing processing, sound check and the like) for a succeeding performance assigned to the other platform (“platformB”) 400b while allowing audio signals of the performance of “platformA” 400a (i.e., output signals of “mixA” 410) to be sounded via the speaker 600.
Generally, in an event venue and the like, the mixers (“mixA” and “mixB”) 410 and 411 are installed in a mixing booth provided in an audience seating area, as shown in FIG. 19. This is for the purpose of allowing a user (human operator) of the mixers to perform desired mixing operation while aurally checking or confirming balance between audio signals audibly reproduced or sounded through the speaker 600 to the audience. As well known, a plurality of channel strips for processing audio signals on a channel-by-channel basis are provided on the operation panel (console section) of the mixer. The greater the processing capability (i.e., number of channels) of the mixer for use in a concert venue or the like, the greater would become the physical size of the body, including the console section, of the mixer. Consequently, the conventionally-known PA system illustrated in FIG. 19 would present the inconvenience that much of the space in the audience seating area is occupied with the two mixers 410 and 411.
Further, in the conventionally-known PA system, thick and heavy audio cables 413 called “multi cables”, each comprising a bundle of a plurality of cables, are installed between acoustic equipment on the stage-side performance platforms 400a and 400b and the audience-seat-side mixers 410 and 411. Further, a stereo audio cable 414 for delivering stereo signals is installed between the output switching device 412 and the amplifier 500. Namely, a plurality of the audio cables 413 and the stereo audio cable 414 have to be installed or run over a long distance between the stage-side positions and the audience-seat-side positions. Particularly, in the conventionally-known PA system, the necessary wiring work is very complicated and cumbersome because the multi cables 413 are thick and heavy and hence very difficult to handle and it is necessary to branch audio signals of a plurality of channels, channel by channel, via a connection device (i.e., connector box) disposed near the mixers and couple the audio signals from the connection box to individual input sections of a plurality channels of the mixers. Further, because the multi cables are relatively expensive, the conventionally-known PA system presents the inconvenience of high wiring cost.
Further, in the conventionally-known PA system, desired mixing operation is performed separately on each of the mixers 410 and 411. It has been considered convenient if the mixing operation could be performed on the mixers 410 and 411 alternately via the console section of one of the mixers. Among the conventionally-known techniques for controlling mixing operation on a plurality of mixers via the console section of one of the mixers is one disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2005-277649 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 1), which is arranged to not only expand the number of input channels of a plurality cascaded mixers by interconnecting respective buses but also allow settings of some parameters (e.g., scene recall instruction) to be interlocked or interlinked between the mixers. However, with the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1, what can be controlled in an interlocked manner are limited to only some parameters (e.g., scene recall instruction), and it is impossible to control channel-specific mixing processing parameters of a given one of the mixers via the console section of another of the mixers.
Further, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. HEI-7-122944 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 2), for example, there has been known a function for recalling parameter settings of a scene, stored in a scene memory, to the console section of a mixer while retaining a state of mixing currently performed by an internal DSP array of the mixer (i.e., stored contents of a current memory in the mixer), and then allowing the console section to confirm or edit the individual parameter settings.
If the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 2 is applied to the system of FIG. 19, it will be possible to perform control on audio signals, currently sounded through the speaker of a mixer, on the basis of a state of mixing being executed by an internal DSP array of the mixer and simultaneously recall, to the console section of the mixer, mixing processing parameter settings for a next or succeeding performance, prepared in another mixer, to then adjust the recalled settings. However, with the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 2, even if the console section adjusts the mixing processing parameter settings for the succeeding performance, the adjusted results can not be reflected in the control by the internal DSP array of the other mixer because the adjusted results can not be returned to the other mixer, and sounds corresponding to the adjusted results can not be aurally checked or confirmed in the other mixer as well as in the one mixer. Thus, even with the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 2, preparations (mixing operation, sound check, etc.) for the succeeding performance in the other mixer can not be made through operation on the console section of the one mixer.